


Another Life

by Adm_Hawthorne



Category: NCIS, Rizzoli & Isles
Genre: F/F, Gen, Rizzles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-06
Updated: 2012-06-06
Packaged: 2017-11-07 02:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 20,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/425766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adm_Hawthorne/pseuds/Adm_Hawthorne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>People meet others under the strangest of circumstances, and sometimes the past has a way of making the present feel uncomfortable. Maura and Jane make a trip to DC to help Maura's mentor with a case. There will be Rizzles because... hey ...this is me!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> NONE of these characters from either show are mine. I get nothing from this but the enjoyment of writing this story. Please don't sue me.

"Hey, Maura, I need you to help me figure out what this crap means," Jane held a folder in her hands as she strolled into the chief medical examiner's office. "I keep asking you to write this stuff down in English, and you keep writing it down in," she looked up to see her friend staring blankly at the her computer screen. "Maura? Hey, what's wrong?"

"I just received a call from the Washington Navy Yard in DC. One of my mentors has asked me to come assist him on a case if I'm able to take time to do so. He seems to think my expertise could be of some assistance to him," the doctor blinked, swallowing as she stiffly turned to her friend. "I told him I would need to check to see that there were no pressing cases that required my presence here."

"Okay," Jane slowly closed the folder, regarding her friend with a trained detective's eye. "So why do you look like that? Wouldn't going to help one of your mentors out be something you'd be all over?"

"Ordinarily, yes, but there are extenuating circumstances regarding this location and this specific group of Major Case Response Team members that I believe my mentor did not take into consideration when he called me." The frown on Maura's face deepened as she opened her desk drawer to pull out her purse. Taking a moment to retrieve her wallet, she opened a small compartment to reveal a photo of her and what looked like another version of her but with different hair and less expensive clothing.

"This picture was taken in 2000 at a conference being held on psychological profiling. The guest speaker was world renowned, and I took vacation time to fly to Washington, DC in order to attend." She handed the photo over to Jane. "As a pathologist, I thought it might be wise for me to understand how another individual might think or behave while committing the crime."

Jane shrugged, "Makes sense." Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the picture, holding it up to the light to get a better look. "Maura, _who_ is this woman? She looks..."

"Exactly like me," Maura's voice was flat, devoid of emotion. "The only differences in outward appearance we shared were hair color and clothing tastes." She mechanically ticked off the similarities. "Same bone structure, same musculature, same voice, same height," she shook her head, "We even shared the same clothing sizes. It was a rather bizarre experience meeting her. We ran into each other at the coffee pavilion in the middle of the conference hall." She held her hand up, silently asking for the picture.

"What's her name?" Jane asked, clearly curious as she handed the picture back.

* * *

"Oh my God, I can't believe it," the dark haired woman stared, eyes big. "You could my twin. This is crazy."

"Yes, I could, and I'm not certain I'm not," Maura replied, blinking slowly as she mentally cataloged all the physical similarities between herself and the woman standing in front of her. "Are you adopted?"

"What? No," the woman shook her head. "I'm from a large family, but I'm not adopted." She tilted her head in consideration, smirking, "Though sometimes I wish I was." She chuckled. "Had a house full of brothers."

"I see." Maura tilted her head as her mind worked through the current situation. "My name is Dr. Maura Isles." She offered her hand.

"Nice to meet you," the other woman took the offered hand, "Caitlin Todd, but please call me Kate. You want to get out of these people's way? I think they want their coffee, too."

"Oh, yes, that would be advisable, wouldn't it? I think that table is open. Shall we go have a seat?"

* * *

"Caitlin Todd, huh?" Jane leaned against the medical examiner's desk, arms crossed as she listened to her friend speak. "What did she do for a living?"

"She was professional profiler, and, I learned, the head of her field. A few years later, she would be hand picked to be on the United State's Presidential detail." Maura sighed as she put her purse away again.

"Wait a minute, she is in the Secret Service?" The detective was clearly impressed.

"She was. In 2003, she resigned after engaging in an extremely short-lived affair with someone which went against the regulations of the USSS. Within days, she was working for Naval Criminal Investigation Services as a Field Agent for the Major Case Response Team stationed at the Washington Navy Yard."

"Is that the same team that your mentor is working with right now?" Jane pursed her lips as her mind clicked the details into place.

"Yes, though I don't believe he realizes Kate and I knew each other or how strange my presence would be there." Shaking her head, Maura stood, picking the folder out of Jane's hands and opening it.

"Why? Because you two would confuse the crap out of everyone?" Allowing the folder to leave her hand without protest, Jane gave her friend a dimpled smile.

"No, because I have not seen Dr. Mallard in person since 1998, and Kate was killed by a sniper while n duty with the NCIS team in 2004." Maura's eyes ran over the report, finger running over the chart she was considering. "I think, given what I know of the circumstances, which is very little, that the current team may find my presence unsettling," she looked up to meet her friend's gaze, "don't you?"

"Oh, wow," Jane looked as shocked as she felt, "I'm sorry, Maura. I... yeah, I could see your point there. So, what are you going to do?"

"I'm honestly not certain. I know I don't want to go alone, but I do want to help him. He's always been a great resource for me, and I really don't believe we have any pressing cases." She sighed, handing the folder back to the detective. "Cause of death was trauma to the head, Jane. You should be able to understand that."

"Yeah, but what I don't understand is the poison in the guy's system." Jane gave an irritated flip through the folder. "I hate cold cases."

"Yes, they can be frustrating." Maura shrugged out of her lab coat and hung it up in its usual location. "Jane," she said, voice light.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever been to Washington, DC?"

"Nope," Jane looked up, eyes narrowing. "Why?"

"Would you like to go?"


	2. Chapter 2

"I hate airports." Jane grumbled as she dodged people in the Logan International airport, carrying most of the bags as she followed Maura. "I hate luggage. I hate large crowds." She almost ran into the back of her friend who had stopped abruptly to check the monitors. "I hate that you don't have brake lights and turn signals so I know what the crap you're going to do before I run into you. Damn it, Maura, what are you doing? This stuff is heavy."

"I'm checking to make certain our plane is arriving on time." She turned, a coffee cup in each hand. "Must you be so grumpy? This is a vacation for you. Can't you at least enjoy the idea of not having to work for a week?"

"No. I can't believe you talked me into this. You better at least get me in that Navy yard so I can see something cool. I mean it, Maura. If I have to putter around DC all by myself all day while you get to do something cool, I'm going to be pissed. I'm only going with you because you don't want to go alone. Man, _come on_ , let's get this checked in already. Your suitcase full of bricks is heavy."

"You know there aren't bricks in there, Jane. You watched me pack. Honestly," Maura shook her head, turning around to lead the way to check their bags.

* * *

"So, where are you from?" Kate sipped her coffee as they settled at the small table.

"I'm currently residing in Boston." Maura gave an awkward smile as she set her purse on the table and glanced around the room, noticing others staring at them. "Are you from the DC area?"

"No, not originally, but I've been living and working here for a while now. You know," the dark haired woman casually sipped her coffee as she watched her doppelganger, "I've been to a few of these conventions, and I can't believe I've never seen you before."

"This is my first. I'm a medical examiner. I'm here to broaden my knowledge base so I can better understand my work."

Kate gave a shrug, "Makes sense, I guess. If you've got any questions, you're welcome to ask me. I may not always be able to answer you right away, but I'm happy to help."

"Thank you, I would like that." Maura paused, trying to think of the right questions to continue the small talk without winding up saying something socially embarrassing. "What do you do for a living?"

"I can't tell you." Kate smirked, eyes going down to the top of her coffee cup. "I could, but then I'd have to kill you."

"Oh, I'm sorry. In that case," the doctor shifted in her seat, "perhaps we should ignore the fact that I asked."

The profiler laughed aloud. "I'm joking! You don't actually think," at the serious look on the other woman's laugh, Kate's own laughter died on her lips. "You're serious? No, I… no, I'm working for the secret service as part of the Presidential detail."

"Oh, goodness, what an honor! But, isn't he in Illinois at the moment?"

"Yes, he is. I took a leave to attend this convention. I won't be any good to him or the team if I'm not up-to-date on what's going on in my field." Kate quirked an eyebrow. "Know what I mean?"

"Yes, yes, I think so." Maura's smile was slowly becoming less tense. "It must be a fascinating career path. I work with law enforcement often. As a medical examiner, there are a few detectives with which I work very closely. I've come to learn they are a unique type of individual."

"I believe that. I thought about being a lawyer. I lasted for a year and realized that, if I stayed in it, I'd kill myself. Those people are a _unique_ type, too." Kate shook her head, taking another sip of her coffee. "I wouldn't mind being an investigator of some kind, though. I mean, I might look into moving to the FBI after the President is out of office. I don't think I want to stay in the Presidential detail once he retires, and being an FBI field agent could be kind of cool." She winced. "Sorry, I'm rambling."

"No, it's okay. I don't mind, really." Maura gave her best reassuring smile. "Shall we go to the next event? Not that I'm assuming you want to spend more time in my company, but if you…"

"Yes." Kate laughed, reaching out to put a hand on the other woman's arm. "Come on, let's go so we can get a decent seat."

* * *

"How long is this flight?" Jane wiggled around in her first class seat, careful not to spill the cup of coffee the flight attendant had handed her a moment before.

"Approximately one hour and 42 minutes," Maura reached over to place a calming hand on her friend's knee. "I know flying makes you anxious. Thank you for being willing to travel with me."

"Who said I was anxious? I'm great. I'm totally awesome. I'm all over this flying thing." The detective leaned back in her seat, her left hand going for her belt where it grabbed for a nonexistent badge. "I feel naked without my badge."

"You do tend to touch it when you're nervous, apprehensive, or anxious. It's an item that gives you a sense of security. I can understand that not having it at this moment would make you feel exposed." The doctor flipped the hand on Jane's knee over so her palm was up. "You may hold my hand if you'd like."

"I don't need a security blanket, Maura," came the grumbly and slightly petulant response. "I'm a grown woman, and a homicide detective. I think I can handle a little turbulence."

"Of course, Jane," Maura responded, not bothering to hide her smirk as Jane's hand slide into her own and gripped, threading their fingers together. "I'm sure you don't need me here at all."

"I never said that," the detective said as she finished her coffee. "So, what hotel are staying at anyway?"

"The Carriage House on Capitol Hill. It's a small bed and breakfast not far from the Naval yard. I thought, since this was your vacation, you may want to stay some place that was more relaxing than a normal hotel room. It's a very charming home, privately owned."

Sighing, Jane rolled her eyes at the word 'charming', "How many rooms?"

"The house has four guest rooms. When I called for reservations, three were already booked, so I'm afraid you'll have to deal with sharing a room with me. However, it is very likely that I'll spend most of my time with Dr. Mallard, so you'll have the room, and bed, all to yourself most of the time."

"Man, no. Maura, I already told you that you owe me, and repayment is getting me on that base. I want to be able to go back to work with either something cool from there or a cool story. I have to one up Frost and his story about the carrier." Jane pouted.

"I told you I would try. Once we land, I'll contact Dr. Mallard to see what can be arranged."

"Better happen."

"Jane."

"Fine."


	3. Chapter 3

"Dr. Mallard? Yes, this is. Oh, yes, the trip went well. We're just now settling into the bed and breakfast. What?" Maura sidestepped to allow enough room for Jane to move to the small dresser so she could unpack their belongings, per Maura's insistence. "No, no one in that category. Remember? I told you that my best friend, Detective Jane Rizzoli would be accompanying me on this trip. Oh, yes, she is, very much so." At Jane's questioning look, Maura mouthed 'later' as she continued to listen to the other doctor. "Well, law enforcement individuals do tend to be a unique variety of people, Dr. Mallard. Yes, in fact she has mentioned that. Her skills?" The honey brunette glanced over to the taller woman, who had stopped unpacking and was watching her, arms crossed and an expectant look on her face. "Well, Jane's certainly proven her ability to… What was that? Rizzoli, yes. R-I-Z-Z-O-L-I" She glanced back at the Rizzoli in question who had moved from expectant to curious and demanding. Maura waved her off.

"No, Dr. Mallard, that's incorrect. I said her name was _Jane_ Rizzoli. Oh yes, we do. She's part of the homicide unit for the Boston Police Department. No, I wasn't aware of that." Maura rolled her eyes and made a motion with her hand to indicate the man on the other end of the line was talking at length on something she was less than interested in hearing. With another eye roll, she plopped down on the bed opposite where Jane still stood and waited for him to finish. "Well, yes, that _is_ rather fascinating. But what does that have to do with Jane? I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't follow. Oh… OH! Yes, I do see your point." She glanced over to Jane, wincing as her free hand went to run a finger along her neck. "Hoyt, yes that is correct. Yes, _that_ Jane Rizzoli." She sighed. "Let me check with her." She winked as she asked Jane directly, "Jane, Dr. Mallard would like to know if you'd like to accompany me when I go on base tomorrow. He seems to think your interaction with certain serial killers could come in handy with the case they are currently working. Is that something you'd be willing to do during your vacation?"

"Really?" Jane's intonation said, _"Are you kidding me?"_

"Dr. Mallard? She said she'd be willing. What time would you like to see us there? Nine in the morning? Yes, we can do that. Don't think anything of it; I'm just very happy I can be of assistance. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Good bye." With a final sigh, Maura ended the call and plugged her cell in to charge for the night. "He talks a lot."

"Coming from you, that says something," the detective quipped as she started unpacking again. "Guess we better hurry this up so we can get some sleep. That's pretty early for my 'vacation' time. Oh," she turned around to narrow her eyes at the doctor, "I get the side of the bed next to the door. I mean it."

"I wouldn't dream of telling you no," Maura said as she began to hang their clothes for the week.

* * *

"Where are you staying?" Kate glanced around to find a safe place they could stand out of the way of the exiting mass of convention attendees.

"I found a rather interesting little bed and breakfast called The Carriage House on Capitol Hill. It's small, and the owners are very nice people. They even have two very affectionate cats. I'm not much of an animal person, but these animals have been lovely." Maura followed Kate to a small alcove away from the flow of traffic. "Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking maybe we could go grab some food at this Thai place that I like, if you're interested. If not, I completely understand."

"No, I am, but I would like to take a little time to freshen up and possibly change. This has been a long day, even by convention standards. I would suggest we meet…"

"How about I drive you?" The dark haired woman waved off the concerned look on the doctor's face. "I don't mind, and it'd just be easier than trying to coordinate out something. Come on, it'll take us a little bit to get to my car. I'm parked out in the middle of nowhere."

"If it's nowhere, then how…"

"Lot F." Kate rolled her eyes. "Can you tell me how to get to the bed and breakfast from here, or do we need to find a map?"

"No, I believe I can give you fairly accurate directions. But, Kate, you don't have to drive me. I don't mind taking a cab to both places. Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Now let's go. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."

* * *

"We're stopping for coffee," Jane stated as she pulled on the last of her clothes. "The breakfast here was really good, but their coffee was just awful."

"I would agree. There's a coffee shop not far from base. We can have the cab stop there before we go. I could use something a little stronger than what was served here, too." Maura checked herself in the dresser's mirror, smiling at the reflection of both her and her friend. "Oh, Jane, we match. Did you do that on purpose?"

"What?" Confused, the detective glanced down at what she was wearing. There was nothing particularly special about her ensemble – black shoes, black belt, a grey suite, dark blue button down, and white undershirt. She glanced to Maura who was wearing a dark blue dress with white highlights and black heels. "Crap. I'm not changing. When did you buy that anyway?"

"Two days ago. I liked the color and knew I had seen it somewhere before, but I couldn't recall where. I see now." The doctor smiled, dimples showing. "Maybe no one will notice?"

"Even if they do, who cares? It's just clothes." At Maura's horrified expression, Jane added, "Really nice clothes?"

"I'll explain to you while we're riding to the coffee shop why clothing is more important than what you apparently seem to think." With a huff, the smaller woman grabbed her matching white purse and headed for the door.

"Great," Jane grumbled as she followed, sighing and rolling her eyes as she went.

an style='font-size:12.0pt'>"I never said that," the detective said as she finished her coffee. "So, what hotel are staying at anyway?"

 

"The Carriage House on Capitol Hill. It's a small bed and breakfast not far from the Naval yard. I thought, since this was your vacation, you may want to stay some place that was more relaxing than a normal hotel room. It's a very charming home, privately owned."

Sighing, Jane rolled her eyes at the word 'charming', "How many rooms?"

"The house has four guest rooms. When I called for reservations, three were already booked, so I'm afraid you'll have to deal with sharing a room with me. However, it is very likely that I'll spend most of my time with Dr. Mallard, so you'll have the room, and bed, all to yourself most of the time."

"Man, no. Maura, I already told you that you owe me, and repayment is getting me on that base. I want to be able to go back to work with either something cool from there or a cool story. I have to one up Frost and his story about the carrier." Jane pouted.

"I told you I would try. Once we land, I'll contact Dr. Mallard to see what can be arranged."

"Better happen."

"Jane."

"Fine."


	4. Chapter 4

"Jane, why don't we walk to base? It's a lovely day, and I don't see a need to keep the cab driver here for such a short distance," Maura suggested as they stepped out of the back of the cab.

"Yeah, sure," came the distracted response. The detective's eyes were surveying the area, taking in every detail she could as she walked around the car to stand beside the doctor. Her left hand came to rest on her belt where her holster would normally be as her right ran through her hair. "Maura, something feels off here. Do you feel that in the air?"

"What do you mean? The humidity is around only 1 percent." Maura finished paying and turned to look up at her friend.

"No, that's not what I mean." Again Jane's eyes scanned the front of the café, looking over the faces of the people sitting at the small tables on the front patio and going in and out of the shop. "I _mean_ it feels like we're being watched."

"Don't be silly, Jane," Maura wrapped her arm through Jane's left to urge her to move toward the building. "You can't feel someone watching you anymore than you can feel someone thinking about you. Though I will say your powers of observation _are_ uncanny. Perhaps you've noticed something suspicious without realizing you've done so? That is a much more likely possibility than being able to feel someone's eyes upon you, which is scientifically…"

"Maura, be quiet for a moment." Jane pulled them over to stand just inside the front door of the café. Positioning so that their back were both to the brick wall, Jane again scanned the crowd, searching for something and listening just as intently. "There," she leaned over to whisper in the smaller woman's ear. "You see that dark haired woman? The one with the pony tail? Look but don't look like you're looking. She's standing at the bar waiting for her coffee."

Maura glanced around the room as if admiring the décor. "Yes, I see her," she said through barely moving lips. Thinking and observing for a moment, Maura turned to face Jane, standing in front of her. She reached up to rest a hand on the back of the taller woman's neck, urging her down. "She can read lips," Maura whispered.

Jane leaned forward, head down so that her mouth was blocked by Maura's head. "How can you tell?"

"There are certain telling signs when one is reading lips. Plus, her body language and facial expressions indicate she is observing us." Chewing at her bottom lip for a moment, Maura frowned. "Jane, why is she watching us?"

"Could be because we look like we're about to make out, and she's into chicks," the detective smirked and then chuckled at her friend's sudden realization of how they must look.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking about that. I just… let me just step aside so that we can…"

Jane grabbed Maura's hips, keeping her in place. " _Nope_. Stay here until she leaves. Her coffee just came up, and I'd rather her not know what we're saying. If she's out on the patio when we start heading to the base, we're calling a cab and sitting outside until it gets here. I can't have my gun on me while we're in DC, so that's the best I can do at keeping us safe. That chick gives me vibes, Maura, and I'd rather not take any chances. Just call me paranoid."

"I would, but your paranoia has saved us too many times for me to question it too often." Tilting her head in consideration, the doctor smiled. "I think this is where you would normally tell me you're rubbing off on me." She glanced down. "Jane, you don't have to keep your hands on my hips; I'm not going anywhere."

"What?" Jane was watching the woman with the ponytail out of the corner of her eye as she looked up at the coffee menu. "Oh, right, sorry." She blushed. "You could move your hand from the back of my neck, too." The blush darkened. "Just saying, I'm not going anywhere either."

"Oh, yes, of course." With an awkward clearing of her throat, the doctor removed her hand as Jane removed her own from the smaller woman's hips.

As they moved, the dark haired woman with the ponytail passed them by on her way out the front door. A carrier of four drinks in one hand, she had her cell held up to her ear with the other. "Yes, I'm on my way back. No, I drove. Would _you_ want to keep him waiting on his coffee? No, I think not…"

"Israeli," Maura answered Jane's unspoken question. "Her accent is Israeli. Interesting."

"Yeah, really interesting." Jane stood by the front window of the café and watched the woman in question get into her car and drive away. "Let's hurry up and get our drinks, Maura. I want to get to base as quick as we can."

* * *

"Maura? It's Kate," the dark haired brunette leaned against her kitchen counter, twirling a kitchen towel in her free hand.

" _Ok, Kate! How are you?"_ Maura sounded chipper.

"I'm good. Well, I've been better, but I've been worse. Something happened with my job, and I just _had_ to call and tell you about it. Do you have a second?" Kate began to pace, a smile playing on her lips.

" _Yes, if it's acceptable for me to put you on speaker phone. I'm about to start an autopsy."_ At that piece of information, Kate grinned. That would explain Maura's chipperness.

"Yeah, that's fine." She waited for the doctor to move their conversation to speaker phone. "Do you remember when we first met and I told you that I was thinking about joining the FBI as a field agent once I was done working in the Secret Service?"

" _Yes, I do. You mentioned you had an interest in working on investigations."_ The sound of metal hitting metal sounded over the line which indicated Maura was laying out her instruments.

Kate made a face. Dead bodies weren't really her thing. "Right. Well, my time with the Secret Service is over. I resigned."

" _Oh, Kate, what happened? I thought you really enjoyed your position."_ Maura's voice was sincerely concerned and upset for her friend.

"I had to. I… well, let's just say I did something against protocol and decided it was better that I resign than be removed. But, it's all sort of worked out for me. I've been hired on to work for NCIS." She couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice. "Do you know what that is?"

" _Naval Criminal Investigation Services."_ The doctor paused for a moment. _"Are you working for the Major Case Response Team or for some other aspect of the service?"_

"No, the MCRT. My new boss is a little different, kind of quiet. He's an ex-Marine, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. I think I'm going to like working for him. He clearly knows what he's doing; I think I could learn a lot. It's not the FBI, but I'm doing criminal investigations anyway. Life's wild, isn't it?"

" _I'm glad to hear you have another job doing something that interests you. Will you still be in DC?"_

"Yes. His team works at the Washington Navy Yard, so I won't have to relocate, which is nice. I also won't have to travel as much, which is even nicer. I was getting tired of being jetlagged all the time. But, that means you can come visit me a little more instead of me going to Boston, not that I mind. It's just nice to return the hospitality, you know?"

" _Yes, I do understand, and I look forward to it. We'll have to make plans. I've got a meeting with the lieutenant governor today. He's said he'd like to speak with me regarding something, but he wasn't specific. I like him very much. Should he run for office, I would support him, so I'm very excited to see what he has to say. Once I know what he has in mind, I'll be able to make further plans. Perhaps I can call you tomorrow?"_

"Oh, the lieutenant governor, huh? Maybe he wants to give you a job?" At Maura's snort of laughter, Kate added, "Hey, you never know. If he becomes governor, maybe he'll set you up as a chief ME or something?"

" _I would prefer to gain the position on my own merits as one who is top in my field, Kate."_

"Okay, fine, but you're already there. Having someone in your corner so that you actually get the job can't hurt, can it?"

" _No, I suppose not."_

"Anyway, give me a call tomorrow and let me know."

" _I will, and tell me how your first day goes on your new job. I'm excited for you."_

"Thanks! I will. Talk to you soon."

" _Good bye, Kate."_

* * *

Jane and Maura stepped into the lobby of the Naval base and checked in. After being checked over and patted down, they were given visitor badges and told to wait for someone to escort them. A tall young man with curly hair and wire-rimmed glasses met them, smiling broadly.

"Hi, I'm Jimmy Palmer, Dr. Mallard's assistant. He's upstairs and wanted me to come get you." Palmer held his hand out to the taller woman.

"Jane Rizzoli," the detective took his hand, giving it a strong shake. "This," she nodded to the honey brunette, "is Dr. Maura Isles."

"How do you do," Maura smiled as she gracefully received Jimmy's hand to shake. "Will we meet Dr. Mallard in Autopsy?"

"No, he actually asked me to take you upstairs to confer with him and a few of the team working this case. So, if you two ladies are ready?" Palmer motioned for them to follow him to the elevators.


	5. Chapter 5

Palmer stepped out of the elevator first, followed by Jane, and finally Maura. Jane's free hand fell loosely to her side, eyes darting around the room before she came to an abrupt stop, nearly causing Maura to collide with her.

"Jane," the doctor hissed.

The detective turned her head slightly to talk to the woman behind her. "Maura, that's her," she whispered. "The woman from the coffee shop." Jane stepped slightly in front of Maura, shielding her.

"Is something wrong?" Palmer turned, face full of confusion.

"No, we're good. So, which team?" Jane sipped her coffee, standing casually, but her eyes were on alert.

"Okay," Palmer gave the women a doubtful look. "They're just over here." He made a motion with his head and started walking toward the team.

"Doctor Mallard? Doctor Isles and her friend are here." Palmer gave a nervous smile as he glanced at the team.

An eerie and unsettling quiet fell over the members as they turned to greet the doctor and her companion. Only when Palmer saw the shocked faces of the agents did a spark of recognition flitter across his face. Quickly turning back to the two women, he stammered. "Are… are you… I mean, I'm sorry it took me a moment, but you look just like… so much like…"

"Kate." Tony swallowed, face somber. "You look just like Caitlin Todd."

Standing behind him, McGee nodded mutely, eyes full of shock.

Maura glanced from Jane, across the faces of the assembled team, and then to Doctor Mallard. Giving an apprehensive smile, she said in her best formal voice, "Doctor Mallard, I'm happy to see you again."

"You even sound like her," Tony muttered, face going slightly pale. Tim grunted, clearing his throat as he swiped a hand across his mouth.

Doctor Mallard cleared his throat, trying his best to shake himself from his momentary lapse in manners. "Yes, Maura, my dear, it _is_ good to actually see again. It's been well over ten years, hasn't it? We really shouldn't wait so long to see each other face-to-face again." He reached out, clasping her hand warmly with his own. "I apologize for my lack in manners." Quietly, he went around the room to give introductions. "This is Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He's the lead investigator on this case."

"Agent Gibbs," Maura offered her hand. Gibbs took it, shaking it once as he regarded her quietly.

"This is Anthony DiNozzo…" Doctor Mallard stepped to the younger man.

"Tony," DiNozzo interrupted quietly as he offered his hand. "Senior Field Agent."

"Tony," Maura nodded, shaking his hand and noting the stiffness of the contact.

"Yes, and this is Timothy McGee, he is our technology specialist." The older man frowned as he stepped to the side to allow McGee to step forward.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you. You can call me Tim." McGee gave a small shrug, eyes pained.

Turning to the final person standing in the circle, Doctor Mallard said, "And this young lady is Ziva David. Her specialties are many."

"I believe we've already seen each other today, have we not?" Ziva offered her hand to Jane first. Jane took it shaking it as she looked down at the small woman with the ponytail.

"Coffee shop. Wondered why you were staring at us." The detective's posture straightened.

"I was not staring. I was observing. You must admit the similarities are… striking." Ziva offered her hand to Maura. "I am pleased to meet you, Doctor Isles."

"Thank you, Agent David." Maura nodded her thanks at Ziva's ease at speaking with her.

"Of course, you've already met Mr. Palmer here." Moving so he could address the group as a whole, the senior doctor forced a smile. "This is Doctor Maura Isles. She is the Chief Medical Examiner for the Boston Police Department. Her companion is Detective Jane Rizzoli of the Boston PD. I've asked them to come here because I believe they may be able to help us. Doctor Isles was my pupil some years ago, and she has a strong expertise in finding details and nuances that most miss. That combined with her experience in profiling and work with Boston police I feel makes her well suited to assist us, and Detective Rizzoli has special knowledge of serial killers that may be to our advantage."

"What kind of knowledge?" Gibbs asked as he stood mirroring Jane's posture of relaxed but alert.

Jane quirked an eyebrow. "I bagged The Surgeon, twice."

"The Surgeon?" Ziva asked, eyes narrowing. "Is that the serial killer that was recently killed in a confrontation with Boston Homicide?"

"Confrontation?" The detective snorted. "Yeah, something like that." She ran the fingers of one hand over the back of the other as Maura ran a hand across her own neck.

Gibbs's eyes narrowed. "It'll do. Ducky, why don't you take Doctor Isles and Rizzoli down to autopsy while I go talk to Abby?"

"That's probably wise, yes." Doctor Mallard motioned for the two women to follow. "Right this way. I'll fill you in once we're there. It will be easier with the file in hand."

* * *

"How do you like your new job?" Maura asked as she settled in a chair at Kate's breakfast nook.

"It's not bad. The senior field agent, Tony DiNozzo, is a pain in the ass, and I'm not sure how he got the job. But, overall it's been a good experience." Kate set down two plates full of food. "Chicken Arrabiata?"

"It looks delicious. When did you learn how to make this?" Smiling, the doctor patiently waited for her hostess to have a seat before beginning.

Kate shrugged. "About three months ago. Abby taught it to me."

"Abby?"

"She's the forensic pathologies for the team, really sweet girl but a little quirky," the dark haired woman smiled warmly at the thought of her friend. "She dresses like a Goth, goes to church every Sunday, bowls on team of with a bunch of Nuns, volunteers often, and is probably the most cheerful person I know." Kate took a sip of her wine. "On top of all of that, she's brilliant. I mean, she's _really_ smart, Maura. I think the two of you would really get along well."

"She sounds fascinating," the doctor noted before taking a bite of her pasta. "Perhaps we'll be able to find time to meet before I have to return to Boston?"

"I'd really like that, but I doubt it. She's working on processing, and you know I just slipped out to sleep and eat. This case is really driving us all nuts," Kate sighed.

"I know you can't discuss the specifics, but please know that I'm happy to listen to what I can." Reaching across the table, Maura gave her friend a gentle pat on the arm.

"Thanks, but I'll be okay. I'm glad you're down here. I've missed seeing you. How long is your conference?"

"I go back the day after tomorrow. Forensics is such an interesting thing, and the keynote speaker works for the anthropology department of the Smithsonian. It's a shame you can't attend, Kate. I think you'd find it all quite interesting."

Kate smirked, tilting her head to the side, clearly amused. "Maybe some other time, Maura?"

* * *

"Here is file we have on the victims," Doctor Mallard handed the thick folder to the detective. "As you can see, he's been very busy over the years."

"I'll say," Jane frowned as she flipped through. "Looks like he has a type, which is handy. Doctor Mallard…"

"Please, call me Ducky." The elder doctor smiled, turning to his former student. "And you should as well, Maura. I think you've more than earned that right."

"Thank you," Maura blushed. Jane smirked.

"Right, so, Ducky, what do you need us for? I mean, there's a whole team of supped up agents up there." Jane handed the folder back.

"A new pair of eyes can't hurt. We've been working on this case for well over a month now, and, with the newest body, I felt it was time for us to bring in someone fresh. Jethro agreed, which is why I called Maura. You were simply an added bonus." He smiled. "I haven't actually done the autopsy yet. I was waiting for you. Detective, would you like to stay here and observe."

"Yeah, you got an extra pair of scrubs?" Jane glanced around.

"Yes, we do, in fact. Mr. Palmer, go retrieve scrubs for the doctor and detective while I prepare, would you?" Ducky made his way to his office to change.

"Of course, Doctor," Palmer nodded, giving a nervous glance to the two women before heading out of the autopsy room.

"Nervous little guy, isn't he?" Jane chuckled.

"I believe they are all 'on edge', as you would say, Jane. But, if you were suddenly presented with someone that looked almost exactly like a loved one that was killed in a traumatic way, wouldn't you be a little offput as well?" Maura crossed hers about herself, giving her head a shake. "I missed her funeral. I was unable to take the time off."

"I'm sure she understood. Don't you think?" Jane stepped closer to her friend. "Hey, you going to be okay?"

"Yes, I'll be fine, I think." The honey brunette sighed heavily, looking up at the detective through watery eyes. "I do miss her."

"I know," without a second thought, Jane pulled Maura into a tight embrace, holding and trying to comfort the smaller woman. "I'm sorry, Maura."


	6. Chapter 6

"Ducky." Gibbs walked into the medical examiner's office, coffee cup in hand.

"Ah, Jethro, I was just about to return to autopsy to begin my examination of our newest victim. Are you planning on joining us?" The doctor finished tying the back of his scrubs.

Eyes narrowed, the other man asked in his signature quiet yet intense way, "Why didn't you tell us?"

"About Maura and Caitlin?" At the nod from his friend, Doctor Mallard sighed. "You have to understand that I've not physically seen Maura since the late 90s. That was over a decade ago. We keep in correspondence with each other, but we've not had a face-to-face meeting since she left to pursue her career in Boston." Frowning, Ducky adjusted his glasses as he thought. "Time has a habit of softening the edges of one's memory, and I'm afraid my memory may be softer than I'd care to admit in regards to this particular situation."

"Are you telling me you _forgot_ that they could practically be twins?" Gibbs crossed his arms, waiting.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. It's been a long time, Jethro, for all of us. Caitlin was taken from us eight years ago. It's been longer still since I've seen my student. You'll have to forgive an old man for a fuzzy memory. They are so very different that, in my mind's eye, their glaring similarities were lacking. I _am_ sorry." The doctor paused, thinking. "Have you spoken with Abby yet?"

"Yeah."

The older man nodded. "How is she dealing with this news?"

"How do you think?"

"I see." Ducky removed his glasses to clean them. "Do you think she'll be able to work with Dr. Isles, or shall I send Mr. Palmer as a go-between?"

"Depends on what you think about Dr. Isles."

"I think it shall be a rather remarkable meeting. I just hope it will be as productive as it will be interesting." With a sigh, Doctor Mallard turned to his door. "Shall we?"

* * *

"I just think it's odd that anyone would want to do that during intercourse, don't you?" Maura rolled her eyes as she sat at her desk. Phone in one hand and coffee cup in the other, she was talking to her friend and professional profiler about her latest date as she tried to understand the situation from the night before.

" _He wanted you to do what? Well,"_ Kate's voice was clearly amused. _"I mean, some guys have been known to want to do some kinky stuff in bed. Sex is… hold on a second."_ The other woman's voice muffled, but Maura could still hear her speaking. _"Tony! Do you mind? I'm on the phone. No!"_ Kate's voice returned. _"Let me call you later, okay?"_

"I'll email you." The medical examiner sighed as she hung up the phone. Though she had never met any of her friend's coworkers, she felt she knew them simply based on what Kate had told her of them, and she was certain that Tony DiNozzo had more than likely been eavesdropping in on their conversation.

Shaking her head, she sent a very brief email to Kate's personal account.

**_Kate,_ **

**_When you're available, let's make a plan to go to that spa in Vermont we both adore. My treat. It's been too long since we've been able to actually get away from work._ **

**_Warm Regards,_ **

**_Maura_ **

The answer came to her a few hours later.

**_Maura,_ **

**_As soon as we close this new case, I can go. We'll talk about who pays for what.  
Kate_ **

* * *

"You seem to be particularly unfazed by autopsies, Detective." Jimmy Palmer observed as he finished weighing the brain of the victim. "A lot of the NCIS agents don't come in here when we're working."

"Then they miss stuff they probably need." Jane shrugged, arms crossed as she stood out of the way and watched the two medical examiners work. "It's my job to catch the bad guy, but I can't do it unless Maura does her job, which is to figure out what the bad guys did and how they did it. She's good at her job, one of the best." At the compliment, Maura glanced up from her work and gave a small smile of thanks, blushing prettily as she did so. "But, while she's doing her job, if I'm not there to ask questions and follow along, then how can I get the whole story she's putting together of that person's life? If I don't have the story, I can't do my job."

"I never realized you thought of it as me putting the person's story together, Jane." Maura removed the heart, holding it for moment as she addressed her friend.

"That _is_ what you're doing, Maura. You're a detective, just, you know, you do your thing by poking around in dead bodies instead of poking around in people's everyday lives." At Maura's bright smile, Jane flinched. "What? I'm smarter than I look. So, anyway, you know what's going on with this guy, or what?"

Ducky glanced behind him at the slender woman fidgeting as she waited to see if anything vital came from their autopsy. "Patience, Detective. We are trying to be as thorough as possible with this examination. It will take time."

"Patience is not one of Jane's stronger qualities," Maura said, glancing up to her friend. She winked before going back to work. At the look and comment, Jane rolled her eyes.

"I'm afraid it will have to be for right now." Doctor Mallard held a tissue sample with tweezers. "Mr. Palmer, let us get samples ready for Abby, shall we?"

"Of course, Doctor." Palmer scurried to hold the clear container the sample would be put in.

"Man, is _this_ where you get it from?" Jane gave a little, impatient stomp of her foot as she narrowed her eyes at the other woman in the room.

"Get what from, Jane?" Maura smirked as she continued to work.

"Really? You're messing with my head on purpose, aren't you?" The dark haired brunette signed. "I should have gotten a cup of coffee before we started this."

"Here." Gibbs stopped beside her, holding out a hot cup of coffee from the café she and Maura had been to that morning. "Cream and sugar with a little coffee."

"Thanks." The detective gratefully took the cup.

"Anything?" He asked as they both stood to watch the doctors work.

"No. I was just told to be patient, which, in medical examiner terms, means that it's going to be _at least_ another 30 minutes." She took another sip of coffee. "They just ran samples down to your lab."

Gibbs nodded. "Ducky, your guy got any tattoos?"

"Yes, in fact he does. One, a small scale like that is often used to represent the astrological sign for a Libra; it's located on his right hip." Doctor Mallard stopped working to point to the tattoo.

"Is this significant?" Maura asked, head tilted to the side.

"Everything's significant until you know it's not," Jane quipped.

Gibbs gave her a nod, quietly approving of what she'd just said. "I need Abby to find out where he got it."

"I've already taken pictures of it and sent them to Abby. She should be working on it now." Ducky turned back to the body on the table. "We should continue on."

"Of course, Doctor Mallard," Maura responded automatically, going back to work.

"It's so weird to see her in assistant mode," Jane commented as she sipped her coffee. She turned her head to ask a question of the man next to her only to find Gibbs was gone. "Really? What is he? Batman?"

"One often wonders," came Ducky's reply.


	7. Chapter 7

"Maura, that Thai place was good. You find the best places to eat." Jane followed the doctor out of the elevator and into the bullpen of NCIS. "I've got dinner tomorrow. I think I saw a burger joint that looks like the burgers are really greasy, which means they're really good."

"Really, Jane? I'm often concerned by the amount of atrocious foods you insist on eating." Maura sighed as she stopped in front of Agent David's desk. "Good evening, Agent David. Has the rest of the team arrived back from their respective dinner plans?"

"Doctor Isles, Detective Rizzoli," Ziva looked up, nodding. "No, they have not. Tony and McGee went to Nathan's, I believe. When they go, it normally takes them longer to return."

"Hey, that's the burger joint. Is that place any good?" Jane grinned, giving Maura a nudge with her shoulder. "We're thinking of going there tomorrow."

"It is what one would eat after a night of drinking," Ziva replied.

The detective slapped her hands together, grin going wider. "Perfect. We're totally going there tomorrow, Maura. This is my vacation. We're going, no arguments."

"Fine." Maura shook her head, turning back to the NCIS agent. "Did Agent Gibbs go with them?"

"Gibbs does not normally join us during our food breaks," Ziva stood, walking around the desk to stand in front of the doctor. "Your presence seems to have," she tilted her head, considering her words, "troubled the team." She regarded the honey brunette with a thoughtful air. Jane stepped closer to Maura. "Did you know?"

"I suspected but had hoped Doctor Mallard would alert the team prior to my arrival," Maura answered, taking a small step back and stopping only because she incidentally backed up against Jane.

"He did not." Ziva crossed her arms, frowning.

"Yes, I gathered as much based on everyone's reactions." Maura did not step away from Jane. Instead, she remained allowing the intimate contact to sooth her somewhat frazzled nerves.

"Do you have a problem?" Jane asked, eyes dark with warning. "If you do, why don't you just come out and say it?"

"No problem," Ziva shrugged in a too nonchalant manner. "I'm just wondering what we're missing regarding Doctor Isles and Kate."

"What do you mean?" Maura tilted her head to the side, genuinely curious.

Mirroring the action, the agent smirked. "You knew her, didn't you?"

"Yes. We met several years ago at a convention here in DC." Maura frowned. "Kate kept her personal and professional lives separated. I'm not surprised that people here were unaware of my existence. She and I were friends, and I regret not being able to attend her funeral, though I suspect it would have caused a great deal of distress." She sighed.

Jane wrapped an arm around her friend and shot a glare to agent. "This isn't easy for anyone except for maybe you and me."

"It is not easy for me, I assure you. I was, after all, Caitlin's replacement in many ways. It was a difficult adjustment." Ziva raised an eyebrow as she looked between the two women. "Abby had the most difficulty. It would not do for her to be so upset again."

"Is that a threat?" Jane straightened to her full height, eyes narrowing.

"No, it is an on observation of fact. Abby is my friend, as is the rest of my team, and I do not like seeing my friends upset." Ziva met the detective's glare with one of her own.

"Hey, _you_ people asked us here. None of this is our fault, and I don't think I like your tone. Where do you get off…"

"Jane, please." Maura turned, placing a hand on the taller woman's shoulders. "It's okay."

"No, Maura, it's not okay. You came here as a favor. It's not like we came to DC just to stir shit up, and I don't like being threatened. _No one_ is going to threaten you while I'm around. You know that… what?" The fire in Jane's eyes died quickly as she saw an almost wistful look cross her friend's face. "Maura? What?"

"Nothing. I just didn't realize you'd become so protective." Hearing a throat clear behind her, the doctor turned around. "Agent David, I am truly sorry that my presence has caused such turmoil in your team, and it's not something I enjoy happening. I'm here to help." She glanced to Jane, whose hand was resting at the small of the doctor's back. "We both are. While we are here, we are on your team. Can't we find some way to at least be agreeable with each other?"

The three women were quiet for a long moment before Ziva finally nodded. "Tony and Kate where close. From what I can tell, they were like brother and sister. Gibbs handpicked Kate for his team."

"I know. Kate told me about it shortly after it happened. She was very excited to be brought onto the investigation team. She thought she could learn much from Agent Gibbs." Maura gave a small, tight smile at the memory.

"I'm sure she did, as have I. Kate and McGee were also friends, but I understand that she and Abby were friends outside of work. Abby is… unique. I know that you and your girlfriend are going to go to her lab when Gibbs returns to check on the results from her tests, and I think it would be wise for you to know that Abby may not be receptive to you at first. When she is hurting, she tends to be… cold."

"We're not girlfriends," Jane said in an almost automatic response.

"What?" Ziva raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Maura is not my girlfriend. She's my friend, my best friend, but that's it. We're not dating each other. We're straight." The detective sighed.

Ziva looked from the detective to the doctor. "Really?"

"Yes," Maura sighed. "Thank you for telling us about Abby, Agent David. I do appreciate it, and I promise to treat Abby with nothing but the highest respect. I've read her work. She's very knowledgeable in her field. I'm actually looking forward to meeting her. When do you think Agent Gibbs will return?"

"He never left." Ziva turned to go back to her seat. "You two really are not," she made a hand gesture between them.

"No!" Jane growled.

"I owe Tony 10 bucks."

* * *

"I'm going to be incommunicado for a while," Kate said as she finished zipping up her backpack. Her cell phone nearly slipped from her hand as she tried to arrange everything so she could return back to work.

" _Another case out of country?"_ Maura sounded tired. It was late in the evening, and the doctor had been sleeping when her friend called.

"No. I'm going to be doing a protection detail." With a grunt, Kate slung the pack over her arm and headed for her front door.

" _Protection detail? Kate, I thought you stopped doing those once you resigned from the Secret Service. What's happened, or can you talk about it?"_ The doctor's voice was full of concern.

"I'm not really at liberty," the brunette paused as she locked her front door, "but, for some reason Maura, I just think someone outside of the team should know. I'm covering Gibbs."

" _Gibbs? You're joking? Surely, you must be. From what you've told me of him, he doesn't seem likely to need that sort of coverage."_

"There are … issues. It's dangerous, Maura, and I've got a bad feeling about it." Kate slipped behind the wheel of her car and started the engine.

" _Please be careful, Kate."_ The doctor's voice was full of fear and apprehension.

"I'll do my job. Sometimes, when you pull protection detail, careful isn't part of the job description. I'll call you when this is all over, okay?"

" _Please see that you do. Be alert."_

"Is that your replacement word for safe?" The agent chuckled.

" _Yes."_

"I'll do my best. Good bye, Maura."

" _Good bye, Kate."_

* * *

The music was loud, though not blaring as Gibbs led the two visiting women into the lab. Coffee cup in one hand, he held a giant cup of Caf-Pow in the other.

"Gibbs!" The Goth standing in front of a desk full of monitors and keyboards squealed as she came running up. "Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs! How do you _always_ come in right when I've found something?"

"What do you got, Abbs?" The older man smirked as he handed her the Caf-Pow.

Smiling, she grabbed the drink and took a big swing. "I know where the tattoo was done, and," she whirled around to look at the monitors again, "Thanks to help from McGee, who went with Tony for burgers," she rolled her eyes, "we found a link between the tattoo parlor and every one of our victims."

"They didn't all have tattoos, Abby." Gibbs stopped beside the young woman.

"No, but they are all connected in some way with one guy that works there." She hit a few buttons, and a picture of a blond haired, blue eyed man in his mid to late 20s popped up on the screen. "George Gardner. He works there as the bookkeeper." She turned back to Gibbs, eyes glowing with excitement. "We've got a whole list of connections. It's like playing Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon except it's not Kevin Bacon, it's George Gardner, and it's not six degrees, it's more like one, or maybe one," she scrunched her face up.

Gibbs smirked. "Anything solid?"

Abby's face fell. "No. It's all circumstantial, but it's a good start! I mean, what we need is to find a way to link the killings directly to this guy. I bet Ducky'll find something soon."

"You're making an assumption that this man is guilty before all the evidence can be processed and considered." Maura's voice rang out, clearly annoyed by Abby's last statement.

"Maura, not now," Jane hissed.

"But, Jane, you can't make assumptions…"

"Maura, everyone works differently. I work on assumptions all the time, and no one's caught on fire. Now, let the nice," Jane glanced back to the two NCIS people, "lady do her job."

"You're her." Abby's face fell, and she looked to Gibbs. "That's her?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "Abby Sciuto, Doctor Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli. Doc, Rizzoli, Abby Scuito."

Jane nodded her hello. Abby didn't notice; her eyes were fixed on the doctor.

"Hello, Abby, it's nice to meet you. I've read your published material. It's very impressive." Maura stepped forward, offering her hand.

The goth's eyes shimmered, and she swallowed hard but stepped forward to take the offered hand. "Thanks. I..."

Maura's eyes widened. "Ms. Scuito?"

"It's just that," Abby turned to Gibbs. "I promised I'd be good, and I know you warned me, but, Gibbs," she gave a pout, a tear trickling down her face, "it's her, but it's not her. I can't," she shook her head, walking toward her office. "I just can't. I'm sorry, Gibbs. I can't do this." She gave a brief look back to the two women. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just… I can't." She stepped into her office, keeping her back to the people assembled in the lab. "Can you leave, Doctor Isles?" Her voice cracked as she spoke. "Please?"

"Maura, come on. Doctor Mallard is probably ready for us again anyway." Jane placed a hand on the smaller woman's shoulder to guide her to the elevators.

"No." The doctor's refusal caught everyone off guard. She looked from the detective to the special agent. "Will you please give us a moment?"

Gibbs pursed his lips, considering for a moment, and then he nodded. "Rizzoli, let's go get some coffee. I'm out." He tossed the empty cup in the trashcan near him.

Jane looked from Maura to Gibbs and back again. "Maura, are you sure?"

"Yes. Please let me try, Jane. We discussed this at dinner."

Nodding, Jane reached out to place a comforting hand on the doctor's shoulder. "Okay. Just don't push." She turned to the waiting agent. "Coffee sounds good. Let's go."

As they walked out, Maura made her way to Abby, heels clicking to the beat of the music playing lightly in the background.


	8. Chapter 8

"Ms. Scuito?" Maura stepped carefully into the office behind the younger woman.

"You even sound like her. It's not fair," Abby shook her head, refusing to turn around. "I asked you to leave, Doctor Isles. Please go? Just… go."

Standing as stiffly as ever, Maura clasped her hands in front of her and tilted her head while she considered the other woman. "Kate talked about you," she finally said in a quiet, gentle voice.

"What?" Pigtails jumped slightly as Abby's head snapped up, though she still did not turn around.

"Kate spoke of you often. She was very fond of you. She mentioned how much she'd life for me to meet you, but the chance never seemed to present itself. I was either engrossed in a case, or she was. Often times, we both were, and, when we were not, we were on vacation away from our respective homes. Vermont was a particularly favored location of ours. There is spa there she and I enjoyed." Maura waited.

Slowly, Abby turned around. Eyes wet with tears, she sniffled as she wrapped her arms around herself. "You knew Kate?"

"I did. She and I met at a conference several years ago. We were both in line for a cup of coffee, and she said," Maura took a moment to steady herself. "Oh my God, I can't believe it. You could my twin. This is crazy.' To which I replied, 'Yes, I could, and I'm not certain I'm not.' I then asked her if she was adopted. I think she found me to be amusing because she smiled with genuine affection, and we began to talk. She was very easy to talk to, wasn't she?"

"Yeah, she was," another sniffle escaped, and Abby wiped at her face with her sleeve.

Maura made a face and reached to the desk beside her to grab the box of tissues. "Please," she asked as she held the box out to the young woman.

"Oh right, sorry," with an apologetic look, Abby took the box, grabbed a tissue, and blew her nose. She took a few moments to compose, tossing used tissues into the trash before she spoke again. "She never mentioned you."

"She rarely talked about you. But, when she did, it was always with the highest of regard and affection. I think Kate liked to keep certain aspects of her personal life to herself, and, though I don't really like to speculate, I think I can safely say that, based on what I did know of Kate's personality, she more than likely felt that telling all of you about me before you actually encountered me might be met with some skepticism. I think she was just waiting for the right time, and it simply never came." With a sigh, Maura shifted so she could lean against the front of Abby's desk.

"Yeah," Abby nodded, "that sort of sounds like Kate." She walked around the room as if looking for something. After a moment, she produced a stuff hippo, which she hugged, and it produced a flatulent noise.

Maura tried, and failed, to hide her disgusted yet surprised face. "Did I hear your hippo correctly?"

"You mean Bert?" She gave the hippo another squeeze. Maura closed her eyes, slowly shaking her head. "Kate made that face a lot."

"I'm sure we share similar facial expressions. The musculature and bone structure are practical identical between the two of us. It would only make sense that we share expressions, though they may not represent the same emotions and thought processes. Individuals develop different ways of expressing…" At Abby's perplexed look, Maura stopped talking and ducked her head. "I'm sorry, Jane tells me that I tend to 'Googlemouth'. Please feel free to stop me if it becomes too much."

"No, it's okay. I mean, I'm not offended. In fact, I think it's kind of good you do that. Kate never did that. She wasn't a facts and figures person, you know?" Abby took a step closer to the doctor. It was small, but it was a step.

"Yes, Kate also pointed out that I tend to ramble at times." Maura smiled gently. "I think Kate and Jane would have been good friends, actually."

"Do you miss her?" Abby chewed at her bottom lip as she waited.

"Yes, often. It's difficult for me to not think of her, as you might imagine. She was a good friend."

"Yeah, she was," the Goth looked down to the ground, kicking at nothing while she clutched her hippo.

"Kate told me they call you the 'Ice Queen'." The shift in conversation threw the hippo hugging woman, who glanced up with a puzzled look on her face. "They call me 'The Queen of the Dead'." Maura tilted her head to the side, smirking just slightly.

"Really?" A small spark light in Abby's eyes.

"Yes." The doctor nodded.

"Why? Is it because you wear a crown when you dissect dead bodies?" A smile played at the corners of Abby's mouth as her body relaxed a bit.

"It's because I speak for the dead, and that fact makes some uncomfortable. I don't mean I'm a medium, of course. But, I do feel that I understand the dead as few do, and I can help them when they can no longer help themselves. I enjoy my work, and I understand these facts make many uncomfortable around me."

"Some people are silly. If you didn't do your job, how could they do theirs, and what's the point of doing a job you don't enjoy? Right?" The arm with Bert in it slowly lowered. "I mean, how cool is it to be able to crack," Abby made the motion with her hands as she spoke, "someone's ribs open and poke around in their insides? I think it's awesome! When things are slow, I go down to watch Ducky do autopsies. It's so cool. I mean, you never know what kind of really neat and weird stuff you can learn about someone just based on their body."

Maura nodded, smiling. "Yes, exactly."

"I bet you see all kinds of cool stuff." Abby was smiling, eyes alight with interest and curiosity. "What's the most interesting autopsy you've done?" She stepped forward again, placing Bert on the desk beside Maura.

"That's difficult to say. They're all interesting in their own way, though doing the autopsies on the Surgeon's victims was particularly memorable." Maura ran a hand across her neck, index finger running along the scar there. "I did once do an autopsy on an elderly man who seemed to have a habit of eating iron nails."

"Really? Nails?" Abby was standing right next to the doctor. "Is that what killed him?"

"No, the decapitation was the cause of death," Maura stated matter-of-factly. At Abby's questioning look, the medical examiner filled in the details. "He was driving a convertible, apparently lost control of the vehicle, and ran it under a tractor-trailer. The car slide under in such a way that it instantly decapitated the man."

"Oh wow, that's cool. I mean, it's not cool the guy died, but _how_ he died is kind of cool. You know what I mean?" Abby made a face as she tried to explain.

"I think so, yes. It was one of the more interesting ways I've seen a death take place." Maura gave a genuine smile.

For a brief moment, Abby's face fell back into a serious pose before it softened. "I'm sorry I freaked out on you, Doctor Isles."

"Maura, please, and it's okay. I do understand. This is difficult for all of us." The honey brunette placed a reassuring hand on the goth's arm. "Will you be okay, Ms. Scuito?"

"Abby, and I think I'll be okay now." Abby sighed. "Thank you." She stepped back a little and then made a quick sweep forward, pulling Maura into a hug. Maura awkwardly hugged her back. After a long moment of hugging, Abby released the doctor. At Maura's disoriented expression, she explained, "I'm a hugger. I hug everyone. Your girlfriend won't get mad at me, right?" She scrunched her face up, clearly worried she may have offended someone.

"My girlfriend? You mean Jane?" Maura sighed, shaking her head. "She's not my girlfriend in the sense that we are not dating each other and are not in a romantic or physically intimate relationship of any kind. Jane is my best friend, but that's all."

"You're kidding me?" The look of disbelief on Abby's face was clear. "Really?"

"Yes," Maura tilted her head to the side, a quizzical look on her face. "Why does everyone here keep asking us that?"

Wrapping an arm around the doctor's shoulders, Abby lead them back out into the lab as she talked. "Maura, come with me and let's chat while we work."

* * *

"This is Doctor Maura Isles," Maura's voice was strong and steady despite her shaking hands. It had been several days since she'd last spoken with Kate, and she was concerned something had happened.

The voice on the other end of the line was female, but she did not recognize it. She did, however, recognize the area code from whence they were calling. It was Washington, DC. _"Doctor Isles, my name is Jenny Shepard. I am the director of NCIS."_

"Oh," Maura leaned against the back of her sofa, steading herself. "Madam Director, what can I do for you?"

" _Ordinarily, I would not make this phone call, but, given the nature of the situation and the request mad, I'm taking it upon myself to make these call today."_ There was a brief pause, and Maura could hear the other woman take in a deep breath. _"A note left by Caitlin Todd asked that one of us contact you and a handful of others should something happen to her."_ Another pause. _"I'm very sorry, Doctor Isles."_

"I'm meant to infer that Kate is dead?" Maura closed her eyes, tilting her head to the ceiling as the tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

" _Yes. I **am** very sorry. There was nothing we could do."_

"Given the degree of danger in her job and what she was trained to do, I'm certain she died honorably." The comment left the doctor's mouth before she knew what she was saying, and it shocked her slightly she had said it.

" _Agent Todd died in the line of duty. She was an excellent agent and well loved by her team. She will be missed."_

"Yes, yes she will. Thank you, Director, for calling me. I realize your time is valuable, and I won't keep you." Maura sighed. "Have a good evening."

" _Thank you, Doctor Isles."_

The line clicked indicating the other woman had disconnected. Maura slowly set her phone down before breaking down into sobs.

* * *

"You sure?" Gibbs stood beside the body on the table as he listened to Abby and Ducky explain.

"Gibbs, it all makes perfect sense, and, based on what Maura," she wrapped her arm through the female doctor's as she mentioned her name, "and Jane," she nodded to the detective who was leaning against the wall beside Gibbs, "have said, I'm _positive_ we've got your guy. You just got to go get him!"

"McGee, track Gardner down. I want to know where he is right now, and call Ziva and Tony. Tell them to get back here until we can find this guy."

"On it, Boss," McGee turned and hurried to the elevator.

"Good work," Gibbs nodded to the assembled crowd.

"We're staying in town until he's locked up." Jane stated, arms crossing as she did so.

"Yup," was the only response she received as the special agent walked out of the room to go back upstairs.

"Oh man, Maura, I'm beat." Running her hands over her face, Jane gave a loud yawn.

"Yes, I believe we could all use some rest," Ducky nodded. "You and Maura have been here for almost 24 hours. Perhaps you should return back to your hotel for a time? I intend to go home myself to sleep for a little while. These cases always take so much out of one, and the amount of time one remains awake can often go unnoticed. I once unintentionally remained awake for almost four days during the course of an investigation. Of course, I was much younger then. But, after not sleeping for so long, even at a younger and healthier age than I am now, one begins to experience all sorts of unpleasant side effects. At one point, I thought the cadaver was actually speaking to me when, in fact, it was the radio I'd forgotten to turn off in the corner of the room. You can imagine my surprise when the body began to give me the weather report. I'm rarely so startled, but hallucinations can cause very real…"

"Ah, sorry to interrupt," Palmer glanced to the women in the room, "But, Doctor Mallard, do you want me to clean up so you can go home? I don't mind."

"Oh, Mr. Palmer, that's very thoughtful of you. Yes, I think I _will_ take you up on the offer." Patting his assistant on the back, he then nodded to the women. "Ladies, I shall see you in the morning, yes?"

"I'll be here!" Abby smiled.

"Yes, of course, Ducky," Maura smiled gently, nodding.

"Count on it," Jane replied with a grunt. She waited for the older man to leave the room before she said, "Okay, we're out of here." The detective pulled at Maura's sleeve. "You ready?"

"Yes," unlacing her arm from Abby's, Maura said her goodbyes as she tried to ignore Abby's encouraging expression.

As they entered the elevator to leave, Jane asked, "Hey, what was that all about?"

"To what are you referring, Jane?"

"Abby's little head nod thing. What are you two up to?"

"Abby thinks I should try something new, and I believe the status quo is probably for the best. But, it doesn't matter right at this time, and I'm much too tired to really think about it now." As if to demonstrate her point, she yawned.

"If you say so," Jane said, skepticism in her voice and on her face.


	9. Chapter 9

"I'm glad they're going to close that case," Jane said as she slipped into her side of the bed. "That one was a monster."

"Yes, it was very distressing to Ducky. They've been having such difficulty with it. I'm glad we were able to help." Maura shifted to give Jane as much space as she was able on the full sized bed. "The other rooms have queen sized beds. I'm sorry we have to adjust to a full."

"No biggie," the detective said. Rolling onto her side to face her friend, she arranged and adjusted until one arm was comfortably under her head and pillow and the other as resting along her side. "Could be worse. I had to share a twin once with a guy on narcotics. _That_ was uncomfortable. He had a thing for me," Jane rolled her eyes and shook her head. "He wanted to cuddle until I threatened to shoot his arm off."

"You don't want to cuddle?" The doctor made a faux pouty face.

"Not with him!" Jane chuckled. "You, on the other hand, are fair game. You don't snore, you don't have a five o'clock shadow, and you don't smell like," she squinted as she looked for the right word. Shrugging at the complete void of a good word, she tried again. "You just smell better."

"I think I shall take that as a compliment." Maura rolled over so that her back was to the detective and gave a small, contented sigh as Jane's arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer.

They were quiet for a long moment before Jane spoke again. "Hey, are you okay? I mean, are you really okay? I know that Kate was a really good friend of yours, and this week has got to have been hard on you. If you need to talk or something, I'm here."

"I'll be fine. It was actually surprisingly healing to have the chance to interact with Kate's coworkers and friends. Abby was especially charming once we came to an understanding with each other. I do miss Kate, but I'm lucky because you're here." Once the words left the doctor's mouth, she winced.

Jane's breath caught for just a moment. "Maura, were you and Kate…" The question trailed off as if the dark haired woman was unsure of how to end it.

"No, we weren't. She was my friend, but we were never anything more, nor would I have been interested. Kate was a lovely woman, but she was not really my type." Holding her breath, Maura waited to see where Jane was going to go with this line of questioning.

"Okay," Jane's body was tensing. "Hey, what was it that Abby wanted you to try, anyway?"

It was an attempt to change the topic, and Maura felt sorry for both of them that it wouldn't accomplish its goal. "I don't think it really matters. Why don't we try to get some rest? Tomorrow will more than likely be eventful, don't you think?"

"Probably," the growl that followed the answer indicated Jane was not about to give up quite yet. "Come on, Maura, why won't you tell me? Was she trying to get you to get a tattoo or something?"

"What makes you think I don't already have one?" Again, the doctor winced. She couldn't stop the flirtatious way the sentence had come out, and she was becoming increasingly worried that she would overstep. Given her conversation with Abby that afternoon and the now obvious flirtations she could think of and had observed between herself and her best friend, she was beginning to wonder if everything was really as innocent as it appeared on the surface.

"Maura," Jane sat up in the bed. "Do you have a tattoo?"

The doctor rolled over onto her back and looked up at her friend. "Yes," she answered, smiling smugly.

"Shut up! You do not!" Jane tilted her head to the side. "Do you? I mean… really? What is it? _Where_ is it?"

Maura slowly sat up, pushing so that she could prop up against the headboard. "Yes, I do. It's the Japanese characters that mean 'knowledge', and I'm not certain you want me to answer your last question."

"I don't believe it," shaking her head, Jane turned, sitting with her legs crossed as she faced the still smugly smiling doctor. "You, Maura Isles, have a tattoo. No way." She waved a hand in the air. "There's just no way. You're pulling my leg."

"Jane, I really don't know why you're so surprised by this." Maura chuckled. "I'm not some sort of innocent flower. Besides, it's not uncommon for individuals to express themselves via body modification. You know how strongly I feel regarding knowledge. It was something I wanted represented in a tangible way on my person. A tattoo seemed the best way to go about it."

"Okay, fine. But, Maura, _where_ is it? I've seen you in a bathing suit, and I'm pretty sure I'd remember seeing a tattoo on you." Jane raised an eyebrow, smirking. "It's on your ass, isn't it?"

"No, you'd have seen it there," the honey blonde answered matter-of-factly. "My bathing suit is a two piece, and, to keep lines from showing when I do tan in that suit, it covers very little, as you well know."

Jane gave a frustrated grunt. "Maura, seriously, where is it?"

"Here," Maura pointed to a spot just below her bikini line.

"You're shitting me. You have it _there_? That had to hurt like hell." Jane's eyes had grown large as she stared at the spot at which Maura was pointing.

"It was not pleasant, no. But, I'm rather pleased with the end product. I opted to have a color tattoo as opposed to a more traditional black piece, and the artist did a wonderful job."

"Can I see it?" As soon as the question was asked, the detective blushed. "I… don't know why that just came out. God, I'm sorry. You probably don't want me to see… what are you doing?"

Maura lifted her hips and grabbed the top of her pajama bottoms. Giving a tug, she pulled them down and off revealing a matching set of boyshorts. "I'm showing you," she said, a smile playing on her lips.

"No, Maura, that's okay," Jane's eyes were glued to the other woman despite her protests. "I'm good."

"Its okay, Jane. I don't mind." Pulling the bottom of her sleep shirt up with one hand, she pulled the top of her underwear down with the other to reveal an expanse of skin and the tattoo. "You see? He did fantastic work, don't you think?"

"I," the detective blinked slowly. Swallowing, she nodded as she licked her lips. "Yeah, that's really well done." She cleared her throat, a deep blush settling on her features. "Wax?" She squeaked out.

"Laser hair removal. I got tired of having to touchup. This was more practical," Maura answered, her eyes dancing with a mirth that her friend had never actually seen before. "It's delightfully smooth, actually."

For the briefest of moments, Jane's left hand twitched. "I'll take your word for it," she husked out. "You, um… you going to pull your underwear back up?"

"Do you want me to?" Maura's eyes dared Jane to speak, to say what her body was already telling the doctor.

"Maura…"

"Jane, we're both adults, and I think we can move quickly past anything that begins with 'what if'. You know how much I hate it when you start sentences with what if." Her hands remained where they were, the tattoo exposed, as Maura waited.

"This is a little quick, isn't it? I mean, you're not… and I'm not… I mean, we're not… Maura, we're just not." The detective closed her eyes. "Please don't do this."

"Do what?" Frowning, Maura pulled her shorts back up as she let her shirt fall down again.

"Something will happen. One of us will mess it up, probably me, and then what will we have?" Jane's eyes remained closed.

"A bump in the road," Maura answered as she tilted her head in consideration. "All couples have rough patches, Jane."

"But, we're not…"

Taking a page from the book of advice her new friend had given her just that afternoon, Maura leaned forward and cut Jane off with a simple kiss. "We're whatever we want to be, Jane."

"Oh God," came the hoarse whisper.

"What do you want to be? I know what I want to be." The doctor's voice was low, a purr.

"Me too, but I've never been that before," Jane groaned, opened her eyes, and then rolled them. "That's the corniest line that has ever come out of my mouth."

"Show me." Maura said, voice a whisper.

"What?" Confusion and panic battled it out in Jane's question.

"Show me what you want to be."

"I… I don't think… oh my God, there' s no good answer here. Look, Maura, we're friends, and we're not gay. We're not. We've both said as much before. We've talked about this, if we wanted to sleep with each other, and we've said no. Remember? Come on, let's just pretend like the kiss didn't happen and go to sleep?" Jane cleared her throat.

"Is that really what you want?" Maura's voice was steady despite the heartbreak in her eyes.

"No." Jane winced. "It'll change everything, Maura. _Everything_."

"Is that so bad? Would you hate it for people to know that we were dating? Are you ashamed of the idea of dating a woman or dating me?"

"No! Not you. Hell no. You're full of amazing. Anyone would be lucky to date you." Jane reached out to take one of Maura's hands in her own. "I would _never_ be ashamed of people thinking I was with you."

"Then it's because I'm a woman. Jane, that really shouldn't matter." Maura allowed the contact, though she was reluctant to give it.

"People will flip. I can't promise you Ma would take it well. I know Tommy wouldn't. He's got a thing for you, and the people at work would give us all kinds of hell. Maura, this would not be easy." Jane sighed.

"No relationship is. However, I'm willing to give it a try." The doctor's eyes pleaded.

"I'm not easy to date. I've never been with a woman, and my family is crazy. Are you sure you'd even want to be a part of…" The detective stopped, smiling at herself. "You're already a part of it, aren't you?"

"I could make that argument, yes."

"The walls here are thin."

"I suppose that means it won't matter if you have a hickey tomorrow, then. Will it?" Maura smirked, a predatory look in her eyes.

"Did you just use a slang word?" Jane shifted nervously.

"Yes. Is that an issue?" Maura was slowly advancing.

"Oh no," the detective took in a deep breath. "Not being embarrassed at breakfast tomorrow… _that_ will be an issue."

"We'll figure something out," the doctor purred before again kissing the other woman.


	10. Chapter 10

Jane stood with one arm wrapped around her own waist while she held a coffee cup in the other. She watched as Gibbs interrogated the suspect in the other room. "Intense," she muttered before taking a sip of coffee.

"Yeah, the boss is like that. I once saw him make a Marine with 25 years of experience cry like a little girl. It was awesome." DiNozzo grinned. "Hey, Ziva, do you remember that?"

"I do," the Israeli nodded, eyes glued to the scene before them. "I do not believe we are allowed to discuss that particular case."

"Oh, right," he sighed. "Too bad, too, because it was really just…"

"Tony," came the quiet warning from DiNozzo's partner.

He grunted. Jane chuckled. Tony gave the detective a dirty look. Changing the topic by way of being antagonistic, he said, "I wonder if McGee and your girlfriend have had any luck?"

Not missing a beat, Jane responded, "I thought Maura was working with Ducky in Autopsy today? Something about finishing up paperwork?"

In recognition of Jane's obvious ignoring of Tony's 'girlfriend' comment, Ziva raised an eyebrow in question. "Palmer said he finished without Ducky or Doctor Isles last night when you two went back to your hotel," she said as she tilted her head, eyes back on Gibbs and the suspect. "I do not believe this one will cry."

"Shame. It's always more fun when they cry," Tony remarked.

"Serial killers don't show remorse, DiNozzo. They see nothing wrong with what that they've done, and, when a vic survives the attack," Jane's free hand clenched, "they often feel like 'their work' is incomplete until that vic is dead." Her jaw clenched for a split second. "This guy won't cry, but, if Gibbs plays his cards right, he can probably get him to confess by playing on his ego."

Glancing to the taller woman, Ziva asked, "You speak from experience, yes?"

"Yeah, but you already knew that." Sighing, Jane ran a hand through her hair. "So, Maura's helping McGee. Why not Abby? I thought that was their thing?"

"Abby is at court today," Tony said as a grin spread on his face. "The boss has him against the ropes."

"There are no ropes in the interrogation room, Tony," Ziva pointed out, confused. "You Americans do not allow that type of interrogation. At least, not where it can be recorded."

"Really?" The Boston detective rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, she's like this all the time," Tony sighed.

"Don't feel bad," Jane said, a smirk hidden behind her raised coffee cup, "my girlfriend is the same way."

* * *

"I believe Special Agent Gibbs will be very pleased with our findings, don't you Agent McGee?" Maura's smile beamed as she stood in front of the display monitor in the bullpen.

"Uh, yeah… yes, Gibbs will want to know this as soon as he gets out of interrogation. Thanks for the help, Doctor Isles." McGee stood, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. After a moment, he asked, "Dr. Isles, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," she turned to look at him, head tilted in her typically quizzical fashion.

"Did she ever talk about us?" He winced.

"Yes, and she was very fond of you all." At his doubtful look and glance at Tony's desk, she added, "Yes, even Agent DiNozzo."

"It must have been weird having a friend that looked and sounded just like you. Was that weird?" Tim was babbling. Clearly something was on his mind that he hadn't quite gotten up enough nerve to say yet.

"It was a unique experience. Kate once made a reference to something about a Mirror Universe, but pointed out she didn't have a goatee, which is strange because she never had a facial hair issue. I pointed that fact out at the time she mentioned it." The honey blonde pursed her lips in thought. "She never did explain that reference to me."

"That's a Star Trek reference. In the Mirror Universe, Evil Spock had a goatee. So, whenever there's a twin or lookalike on TV, if they have a goatee, then that means they're the 'evil twin'. You never watched Star Trek?" McGee's body was relaxing as the topic turned to something he was more comfortable talking about.

"I watched a few of the series, but I have yet to watch the one with the original cast, though I've been meaning to do so. There are a great many cultural reference that I think I miss because I've not seen the show." The doctor shrugged. "Perhaps I can talk Jane into a marathon once we return home?"

"You really should. It's a great series." Tim returned Maura's smile. Seconds later, however, his face feel. "I… I want to ask you something, but I don't want to sound weird. It's just that, well, you're about to leave, and I don't know if we'll have the opportunity to see each other again, and I never got the chance…" He sighed, trying to gather his resolve. "I never got to tell her goodbye or let her know how much I appreciated all the help she gave me when I was first starting out with the team. I mean, sometimes she gave me a hard time, but she was always there."

"She had your back," Maura stated.

"Yeah, exactly, and we're not really a touchy-feely team. I mean, Abby is. Abby hugs everyone, even Gibbs, but the closest the rest of us come is that one time when I had to help Kate climb up the side of a house so she could climb into a second story window. _That_ was awkward. She was wearing a dress, and I had to look up." He held his hands up in a gesture of innocence. "She told me to! I mean, I wasn't being … I… I had to see what I was doing so she didn't fall, and she said," he sighed, running his hand across the back of his neck. "You know, forget I said anything. I'm an awkward nerd, and I'm just going to go back to my desk."

Quickly reaching out, Maura placed a hand on McGee's arm. "So am I, and there's nothing wrong with that." Her voice was gentle. "Please, ask me."

Turning back to the doctor, McGee glanced down to the ground before bringing his eyes up to meet the hazel ones patiently waiting to see what he had to say. "Can I hug her goodbye?"

"No, she's gone. But, you may hug me hello." The doctor's eyes shimmered slightly in the harsh florescent lights of the bullpen.

Nodding, mostly to himself, he took a tentative step toward the smaller woman. Reaching out, he placed a shaking hand on her waist and pulled her in, giving her a strong hug. "Thank you," he whispered as Maura wrapped her arms around the young agent.

Rubbing her hands gently across his back, Maura whispered. "You are welcome."

They pulled back, stepping away from each other. McGee took a moment to compose as Maura pulled a tissue from her purse to dab at her eyes. "Perhaps we should check to see how the interrogation is going?"

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," he cleared his throat, gesturing toward the interrogation rooms. "Right this way, Doctor Isles."

"Maura, please," she gave him a gentle smile.

"Tim," he nodded, eyes still slightly misty.


	11. Chapter 11

"Jane?" Maura stepped into the recording room, McGee following closely behind her. "Have they gotten what they need yet?"

"Nope, but Gibbs is close. I can smell it," the detective growled, eyes glued to the two men in interrogation.

"It is impossible to 'smell' anything that would indicate such a thing. You may be able to perceive, based on body language and vocal intonation, that an individual is likely to react in a certain manner. However, that is not the same as…" The doctor was silenced with a finger over her lips.

"Sweetie, it's a figure of speech," Jane raised her eyebrows as she spoke, voice quiet but amused.

Maura's eyes widened at the uncharacteristically intimate touch from the other woman. Silently, she nodded her understanding before grabbing the hand in front of her and pulling it down slowly. "Googlemouthing?"

"Yup." The detective's trademark smirk spread across her face. "Cute though."

DiNozzo cleared his throat. "If we're interrupting something, I can send Ziva and the probie here out of the room so you two can keep going with where ever you're going." He grinned.

Ziva smacked him on his chest, the sound echoing in the room. "Don't be a pig, Tony."

The senior filed agent grunted, giving out a little squeak of pain. "Sorry."

Giving her partner a hard look, the Israeli rolled her eyes. "Am I to assume our earlier conversation regarding your relationship status is no longer correct?" She narrowed her eyes.

"I don't like assumptions," Maura said as she released Jane's hand.

"I do," Jane quipped.

"Me, too," Tony added, grin still on his face. "Like I'm assuming you two got la…"

"I _can_ and _will_ hurt your, DiNozzo, and no one in this room would see a thing," Jane growled.

"See what?" Tim asked, looking to Ziva.

"I do not know what you mean, Tim," Ziva answered, shrugging and winking at the same time.

Glancing around the room to the three woman and one probie, Tony's grin faltered. "Yeah… you two… make a nice couple?"

"Better," the detective grumbled.

"Jane? I thought we weren't going to say anything?" The doctor's confusion was clear on her face.

"You do not have to," Ziva commented, clearly puzzled herself. "You two could not be any more obvious. It's like calling the Hulk purple; we can already see that he is."

"Green," Tony automatically correct. "The Hulk is green, Ziva, not purple. He's not ga… um… I think Gibbs has something."

From behind the glass, they watched as the special agent left the room. A moment later, he entered the other side. "Is there something I need to know?"

"Uh, Boss, Maura and I found something that we think will help clench the case," McGee nodded to the doctor, who smiled brightly.

"And?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

"And it would probably be better if we showed you. It's all a little complicated without the charts, and we thought," at Gibbs look of irritation, McGee cleared his throat. "We'll meet you downstairs."

"Yeah, get moving, McGee," Gibbs made a motion to the door. Turning to the rest of them, he added. "Well?"

"We're coming, Boss," Tony said as he hurried out after McGee.

* * *

"This will work. McGee," Gibbs started. His team finished.

"Go down to Abby's lab and finish creating the model of the scene. On it Boss." He left without another word.

"DiNozzo…"

"Take Ziva and go back to the house to look for that journal, and we don't come back until we find it. Got it, Boss. Come on, Ziva." Grabbing their gear, the two field agents took off to the elevators.

There was an awkward silence for a brief moment as special agent, detective, and medical examiner stood looking at each other. It was blessedly filled with the sound of Jane's phone going off.

"Rizzoli," she sighed. "Hi, Ma. No, I… hold on a sec. No, just… Ma, really? Can you just give me two seconds, okay?" She pulled the phone away from her mouth. "It's Ma. I was supposed to call her last night, but, you know. I'm going to go to the break area and talk to her. You going to be okay here, or do you want to come with me?"

"I'll be fine here, Jane. Go speak with your mother, and please give Angela my warm regards. Also, ask her if she remembered to give Bass his weekly batch of strawberries. He tends to get a bit cranky when he isn't given his treat at the regular time." The doctor winced.

"Really?" Jane deadpanned. "He's a turtle, Maura. Does he even _know_ what time is?"

"Tortoise, and yes." The doctor frowned. "I think I can hear Angela yelling for you through the receiver."

"Yup, that'd be her. I'm going to go. I'll be back as soon as she's done making me feel guilty for whatever it is this week." With that, the detective walked to the elevators. "Ma, I'm going into an elevator, so I might drop your call, but I'll… NO! Ma, seriously? I'll call you back, I…" she stepped onto the elevator and rolled her eyes as the doors closed.

Maura turned to find Gibbs looking over the chart still on the screen. She stepped to his side and pointed to the picture in the middle. "The size and dimensions of the house indicate it was never intended to have as many rooms as there currently are. It's clear that drastic remodeling has taken place over the years to the point where, though relatively the same appearance is on the outside, the inside would not be recognizable to an individual who lived there prior to remodeling."

"Yup, made it easier to create false walls," Gibbs glanced to his side to look at the doctor. "A turtle?"

"Tortoise, actually. Jane knows the difference. She only says that because she knows it annoys me." Maura sighed. "There are people out there who wouldn't put up with her abuse."

Raising an eyebrow and smirking, Gibbs shot back, "But you do."

"Of course, but our circumstances are different than most." Absentmindedly, Maura rubbed at the scar on her neck.

Gibbs watched but said nothing as he made his way back to his desk. After sitting down, he leaned back to watch the doctor as she studied the screen with the information on it that she and McGee had pieced together. As she again went over the information regarding the serial killer, her fingers continued to run along the scar on her neck.

After a time, Gibbs spoke again, "How long?"

"I'm sorry?" Maura turned around to address him directly.

He nodded toward her as he pointed at his neck. "How long you had that?"

She frowned, "Not long." Thinking, she calculated the time. "It's just short of a month since it fully healed."

"From the same guy that put one on Rizzoli's neck?" Gibbs was attentive despite the relaxed state he appeared to be in.

Maura hesitated for a moment. "Yes," she finally answered, voice soft.

"That one came from The Surgeon, didn't it?" His posture straightened. "Did he hurt you?"

The question threw the doctor, who could only blink and shake her head at the directness of the question and sudden protectiveness radiating from the man sitting before her. "Not anything permanent or more long lasting than the cut to my neck. Jane prevented that from happening."

He nodded. "Tell me."

"I would rather not. The incident was reported on. I'm certain you read it once you found out who we were." Maura shook her head, complexion going slightly pale at the memory. "If not, you can do a quick search to pull up the reports on the incident."

"Yeah, I read it. It said Hoyt managed to break free with help from a jailhouse guard. It said Boston PD was forced to take him out to prevent him from attacking and killing the people he held hostage. What it didn't tell me was who those hostages were and how he died." He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "I don't like it when someone tries to hurt my people."

" _Your_ people?" Maura's stance changed from insecure to angry. "I am not 'your people', Agent Gibbs. You needn't worry about me. I can take care of myself."

"So could Kate."

They went silent for a moment, both caught up in some internal battle.

It was Maura who broke the silence. "She was killed because she couldn't defend herself, Agent Gibbs. She was killed because it is difficult to fight against a hidden sniper, as you well know. There was nothing anyone could have done to prevent her death."

"I could have killed him before he had the chance." Gibbs frowned, jaw muscles flexing.

"You could not. There would have been no justification, and you would have been severely punished, not to mention whatever repercussions there would have been for killing whomever it was that took Kate's life." Maura sighed, clearly weary.

"You don't know?"

"No, I do not. I don't have that clearance level, and that information was never given out. In truth, I'm not certain I want to know who did it or why. The only thing that really matters was that her death was not in vain." Walking to Tim's desk, Maura leaned against the front, propping herself so that she faced Gibbs.

"It wasn't. The bastard's dead."

"Good." She nodded.

"How'd he die?" Gibbs stood and walked to face the small woman. Though he didn't loom, he didn't give her space either. His body language indicated he would not leave the question alone until it was answered.

Maura squared off against him, unflinching from his demanding stance, but, in a moment of consideration, she shrugged and reluctantly gave the answer he demanded to know. "He and his apprentice had tied our hands together. He apprentice kept me under control while he held Jane down and began to slice into her neck, but he stopped just an inch in. He told his apprentice to hold Jane down while he came to me. Using the taser the guard carried with him, he shocked me so I was unresponsive but awake and aware. He then began to slice slowly into my neck, making certain Jane could see what he was doing to me. I could hear her screaming at him, but I couldn't move. There was a loud sound as Jane overpowered the guard, tasered him, and then attacked Hoyt. There was a struggle as she knocked him off of me, and," the doctor took in a deep breath, "she finally overpowered him, using the scalpel he had used on both of us to kill him."

"She killed the Surgeon by stabbing him in the chest with his own scalpel?" Gibbs tilted his head to the side, questioning.

"Yes." Maura sniffled lightly.

"While her hands were still bound?" His voice held an edge of curiosity to it.

"That is correct." She nodded.

"To save you?"

"To save us both," the honey brunette corrected.

"Don't think so," Gibbs countered. "Impressive."

"Yes, she is." Maura let out a shuddering sigh. "Kate would have been able to fight back and help Jane. I just sat there and did nothing."

"You were there. That's enough." Gibbs walked back to his desk, sat down, and pulled a box of tissue from one of his desk drawers.

"I don't see how. I was a liability." She took the offered tissue.

"Gave her a reason to fight back." Shaking his head, he pulled a photo from the same drawer. "She said you were the smartest woman she'd ever met. I can see why, for the most part." He held it up. It was the same picture Maura kept in her purse of her and Kate. "She told me to hold onto this in case you ever showed up so I'd know who you were." He placed it down on top of his desk. "She told me that the day before she died."

Maura glanced down to the picture. "You knew about me?"

"Yup."

"Why didn't you tell your team? Why make all of them go through all of this heartache all over again?" The anger was building in her voice. "Why would you do that to them?"

"To give them something to fight for." Gibbs pointed to the screen behind her. "Sometimes we need personal reminders of why we're doing what we do."

Maura's eyes narrowed. "You're a bastard, Special Agent Gibbs."

"Yeah, that's what they tell me."

Turning on her heels, Maura walked stiffly away and to the elevators. He watched her step on and the doors close on her angered face. With a grunt, he turned to his computer to finish paperwork before his team arrived back.


	12. Chapter 12

"Ziva, will you take this up to Gibbs? I have to make a snack run. If I don't get some chocolate soon, I may have to start playing nice with McGeek." Tony hit the elevator button.

"Would that be so bad?" He took the journal from him, rolling her eyes as she did so.

"Is that a trick question? I'll be up there before you know. Besides, I got to hit the head, too." He smirked at her disgusted look.

He walked quickly to the break area, not bothering to pay attention to who was around, fed the machine a dollar, and hit the button for a bag of chocolate candies. Pulling the bag out, he turned to lean against the machine as he opened it and popped a few in his mouth. "Ahh," he said around the mouthful of chocolate, "that's the good stuff."

"It is a misconception that only women crave chocolate during moments of high stress," a voice floated through the break room. "In truth, each individual person craves whatever item they associate with comfort, and women simply tend to lean more toward sweet foods. However, chocolate is a known stimulate, and there are studies that show the chemicals released in the brain when eating chocolate are the same as those released during orgasm."

Tony choked on his chocolate, eyes bulging as he heard Kate's voice say the word 'orgasm' and watched her lookalike watching him from where she sat at one of the tables. Coughing and sputtering, he swallowed quickly and tried to take in precious air.

"I'm sorry, Agent DiNozzo. I didn't mean to startle you." The doctor stood to fetch a glass of water. "Try to breathe normally, and drink this." She handed the glass to the still sputtering agent.

"Thanks," he gasped.

"Of course. Perhaps you should sit down?" Placing a hand lightly on his back, Maura led him to a chair and guided him to sit down.

"What are you doing here?" DiNozzo was finally gaining some composure.

"I came looking for Jane. She left the bullpen area to come here so she could speak to her mother in private. But, the reception for cell phones is poor here, so she stepped outside. I decided to remain here. It's oddly peaceful here, very quiet. It's a nice place for meditation." She smiled. "I see you came here for the chocolate. Does this mean you found the journal?"

"Yeah, we found it," he set his small bag of chocolate down. "Had to dig around in his backyard, but we finally got it. So," the agent glanced around the room, "when's Jane coming back in?"

"I'm not certain. Conversations with Angela can last quite a long time, though Jane seems to have perfected her ability to get her mother off of the phone within a reasonable amount of time. But," the doctor gave a shrug, "we were instructed to call her last night, and we didn't, so it's possible that Jane is paying for that now."

Tony's eyes narrowed. "Got distracted?"

"Yes." Maura answered succinctly.

"Had a lot going on last night?" He looked serious as he asked.

"It was an eventful evening," she counted.

"Didn't sleep well?" He looked honestly concerned, leaning forward in his chair as he spoke.

"The sleep I had was very refreshing, though I, of course, can't speak for Jane." She tilted her head as if to say 'you could ask her'.

He grinned. "I'm surprised you two got any sleep at all. But," he raised his eyebrows, smirking even more. "Jane _has_ been downing a lot of coffee today. Maybe I should congratulate you on a job well done?"

One graceful eyebrow raised as Maura gave a small, polite smile in return.

Tony sat back in his chair. For a moment, he was silent, and it was clear he wasn't sure what to say. Then, he gave a biting, rather bitter laughed. "Kate should have done that more."

"What's that, Agent DiNozzo?" The doctor tilted her head to the side, clearly curious.

He sounded defeated, tired. "Not said anything whenever I was trying to get a rise out of her."

"Were you trying to do that to me just now? I don't always catch that. Jane says it can be frustrating that I don't play that game well."

"Maybe I was," he shrugged. "I'm sorry, Doctor Isles. I think it's just a habit. We always fight like that."

" _We_ do not, Agent DiNozzo. I had not met you until I came here earlier in the week, and you've been out investigating for most of it. _We_ have had very little interaction with each other." She sighed. "Perhaps you have me confused with someone else?"

"Not confused, just," Tony shook his head. "I'm making an ass of myself, huh?"

"Yes."

Another biting laugh escaped the agent. "You don't hold back, do you?"

"Do not ask me a question to which you don't want to know the truth." Maura pointed to the bag on the table. "May I have one?"

"Have as many as you want." Tony pushed it toward her. "Kate and I, we sort of fought like brother and sister."

"I gathered as much from her conversations regarding your interactions with each other." She picked up a few pieces of candy.

"She talked about me? What did she say?" His eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Nothing that I think she'd want me to directly repeat to you." At his annoyed look, she added, "I keep my friends' confidences, Agent DiNozzo, even after they've died."

"Okay," he slumped a little. "I can respect that."

"Thank you."

"Doc, can I ask you something?" He glanced down to the table, pulling the bag back toward him.

"You may," she nodded.

"Are you okay?" He looked up, genuine concern on his face.

Tilting her head, she asked, "In what sense?"

"This is hard on us. Kate was a part of our team, and we all miss her. And _you_ … you look so much like her it's uncanny and a little freaky. If it wasn't for the different hair and better fashion sense, you'd be a dead ringer. Even your voice is the same. So, this whole thing has really thrown us all for a loop," he gave a shrug. "Well, not Ziva, but she wasn't here when Kate was here. She came … after." He scrunched his face up for a moment. "So, if this is hard on us, it's got to be hard on you, too. I mean, we're probably dumping all kinds of emotional stuff on you." Finally looking up from the bag of chocolates, he met her gaze. "If it's too much, you should tell us."

"That's very kind of you, Agent DiNozzo, but I'm fine. I have Jane with me; she came for moral support as I suspected this experience would be taxing. None of you have done anything inap… well, I take that back. Special Agent Gibbs is one of a very few men I've ever called a bastard and meant in the slang sense of the word as opposed to the literal meaning."

Tony laughed. "You called Gibbs a bastard… _to his face_?"

Maura hesitated for a moment. "Yes, I did."

"When?"

"Not long ago." At his questioning look, she explained. "He was aware of me before I arrived here. He had a picture of me and Kate that she had given to him shortly before the incident." She had taken to using that term for Kate's death, just as the NCIS team had done.

"Are you serious?" Tony's voice was low.

"Yes. He said he didn't tell you because he wanted you to have a reminder of why you were fighting, though I'm not certain what he meant by that." She frowned.

"I am." Standing, DiNozzo threw the trash away. "He thinks we need to remember why it's important we do our job. Sometimes, it gets to us, and we start lapsing because we're tired. You're right," he nodded slightly. "he's a bastard, but he normally has his reasons. The Boss works in mysterious ways."

"You sound as though you have a great deal of respect for him."

"We all do. Didn't Kate?" Tony pulled his phone out as he spoke.

"Yes, she did. She spoke very highly of him, though she, too, called him a bastard at one point. It would have been good for me to remember that before now." Her frown deepened.

"That's Ziva. I need to go back upstairs." He popped his phone back in his pocket. "I'm glad you came, Doc. We couldn't have gotten this far without you." He offered his hand.

Maura stood, taking it to give a firm shake. "Maura, please, and thank you."

"Call me Tony." He grinned again. "And tell your girlfriend that I said she should drink more coffee. She still looks tired from last night." He winked at Maura's annoyed look before heading off to the elevators.


	13. Chapter 13

" _Tell_ me we're going home soon." Jane shifted from one foot to other as she glanced around the NCIS autopsy room. "The guy's been booked." She threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "The case was closed yesterday, Maura. We could be home by already. I've never been so excited at the idea of seeing Korsak and his donut jelly stained tie in my life." She was ranting as they waited for Doctor Mallard to come back from his office.

Smiling gently at the other woman, Maura slowly moved forward until there was no space between them. Jane stopped ranting long enough to look down in surprise. "Maura, what are you…" she was cut short by a well-timed kiss, which lead to another and another.

"Ah, l' amour," Ducky said as he walked in on the scene. "It is as old as time and has caused everything from the greatest plays ever written to the ugliest of wars." He stood a few feet from the women.

Jane tried to pull away, clearly embarrassed to be caught, but Maura refused to let go. Instead, she held onto the detective's arms and turned in the embrace so that she could lean against the taller woman. "We're on vacation, Jane. At some point, we should be able to act like it."

" _I'm_ on vacation," the detective answered in a slightly stilted voice. " _You're_ here as a consultant, and I'm really sorry, Ducky. We… uh… well, I mean, _Maura_ …"

"It's quite alright, Detective. If I had an attractive young woman as my love interest, I think I would have the same issues." At her confused look, Ducky raised an eyebrow, clearly humored. "I would want to spend as much quality time with her wherever I was able as well." He winked.

Jane took in a deep breath to calm herself down as Maura giggled lightly. "Ducky," the honey brunette began, humor in her voice, "Thank you for your hospitality while we've been here. It's been lovely working with you again."

"The same to you, my dear. I'm sorry the circumstances were not better, but," he shrugged, "such is the life we lead in this line of work. When will you be leaving our fair city?"

"This evening," Maura turned her head back to look at Jane for a moment. "We are going to take this opportunity to visit the Smithsonian while we're here in Washington."

"We are?" Jane pulled back, stepping around to look at the smaller woman. "Really? When were you going to tell me that? Maura, I want to go home."

The younger doctor gave a light pout. "But, Jane, they have a Star Trek exhibit."

"They do?" The detective tilted her head. "Why are we really going?"

"I want to speak with the forensic anthropologist there. She is one of only two in the country, and I have a few questions regarding some issues that have come up in a few of our cases that I think she could help me better understand. Don't look at me like that; I told you about this last night. It won't take long, and we can spend the rest of the day walking about the museum. I promise I'll make it worth your while." She gave a devious smile to her detective.

"You can't possibly expect me to remember anything you told me last night when we were…"

"I believe you two may want to continue this conversation elsewhere," Ducky stepped in, giving a knowing smile to his former student. "Don't you?"

"Yes, that would be wise." Maura nodded. Jane stopped talking, ran a hand over her face, and turned to make a circle around the room so Maura and her former teacher could have a moment alone. "Thank you for asking me to come here. The experience has been invaluable."

"I could say much the same." Ducky paused for a moment to consider something. "Maura, I _am_ sorry that I didn't warn the others. As I explained to Jethro earlier in the week, you and Caitlin are so different that my mind's eye did not recall the incredible physical similarities between you both. I hope you can forgive me for causing an unnecessarily uncomfortable situation."

"I'm not upset, Ducky. I _do_ understand. Think nothing of it. If ever you need my," she glanced over to Jane, who had found something interesting to poke at on one of the tables, " _Our_ help again, please don't hesitate to ask." She offered her hand.

Doctor Mallard took the offered hand, giving it a very warm shake. "Thank you, my dear." He turned to the taller woman across the room. "And thank you, Detective. You've both been very helpful."

"No problem, anytime." Jane returned to her spot next to Maura. "Does this mean we're all set to go?"

"Yes," Maura nodded. "We leave in six hours, Jane. That is plenty of time to do everything I'd like to do at the Smithsonian." They said their final goodbyes to the elder doctor before walking to the elevators. "We can discuss how we're going to address the change in our relationship status with our friends and family on the plane ride back to Boston."

Jane groaned. "There's really not much to discuss. I mean, most of them already think we're seeing each other 'secretly," she held up her hands to do air quotes, "anyway. The only thing that will change is now I can kiss you in public." She gave a classic Rizzoli smirk. "And Tommy has to back off because now I really can kick his ass for 'playing chess' with you all night."

Maura shot her an annoyed look. "We really were just playing chess."

"Don't care." Jane crossed her arms as they waited for the elevator to come to a stop.

"Honestly, Jane, that's all it was. It was completely innocent."

"Nothing with Tommy is completely innocent," the detective growled.

"I should be annoyed, at the very least, but I find this sudden possessive streak rather appealing," the smaller woman said, smiling gently.

"Yeah?" At the nod she was given, Jane reached down, pulling Maura to her and growling in her ear, "Mine," before laying a possessive kiss on Maura's waiting lips.

The elevator doors opened to reveal the scene to the people waiting to board. A click was heard and DiNozzo's voice rang out, "Merry Christmas to me."

Jane pulled back, eyes blazing. "If I find that picture online, it's your manhood, DiNozzo."

"Oh no, this one's going in my _personal_ collection," he smiled, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Oh, that's it. I am going to," Jane headed toward him but was restrained by Maura's hand and gentle murmur of her name. "Okay, fine, whatever. We're out of here." She looked down to Ziva. "I don't know how you work with him."

"It is… how do you say it? I think you Americans call it a labor of love?" Ziva shrugged.

"You love him or you love the job?" Jane deadpanned.

"The job. Tony is an ass," Ziva responded in kind.

Tony looked offended. The women looked amused. "Thought so. If you're ever in Boston, Ziva, look us up. Just go to the police station downtown and ask for Rizzoli."

"I shall. Have a safe trip home." Ziva waved as she pushed Tony toward the elevator.

Walking out of the building, Maura wrapped an arm through Jane's. "I'm glad we came."

"Me, too." The taller woman leaned over to place a kiss on Maura's forehead. "Best vacation ever."


End file.
